


Haunted

by alecsangel (angel)



Series: Nine Lives [5]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-11
Updated: 2006-03-11
Packaged: 2017-11-23 23:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel/pseuds/alecsangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec is haunted by all the lives he's taken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Haunted

~~! Medical Center !~~

"Hey, Sandi," Alec called as he stuck his head through the open door of her office.

"Alec," she looked up from the papers on her desk, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why does there have to be something wrong? Can't a friend just visit a friend?" He asked innocently, taking a seat in one of the chairs opposite her.

She leaned back, smirking at him. "You want to know how my date went last night."

"Uh-huh. Last night and last week and the week before that." He smiled, pleased with himself for setting her up with someone that she'd been out on several dates with. Ryan was one of the perimeter guards that kept them safe in the city. Sean, who oversees the guards, had recommended Ryan after Max and Alec had approached him as a possible date for Sandi.

She grinned, "It was great."

Alec waited for her to say more but she simply returned to the paperwork. "That's it. That's all you're going to say?"

"I don't kiss and tell, Alec."

"So, you've kissed him?"

"I didn't say that."

"I beg to differ."

"Beg all you want. It doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to tell you about it."

"I'll tell you about me and Max."

"Eww. No!"

"Fine, fine. Have it your way." He sulked in the chair, picking up one of the papers that she had been looking at. "This is about me."

"Well, duh. You're practically the only patient I've ever had here at the Med. Center."

"I feel special now."

"I have no doubts."

"So, about your date with Ryan ..."

Sandi laughed, shaking her head at him. She stood up and rounded the desk, pulling him from his chair and pushing him out the door. "Go hang out with your own girlfriend; I've got work to do."

"Don't think this is over yet." He called over his shoulder as he made his way to the exit.

"Hey, Alec. How's the stab wound?" Gila asked as she passed him in the hallway.

"It's all healed, thanks to you and Dr. I-don't-kiss-and-tell in there."

"You know you're my favorite patient. Would you like a lollipop?" She waved the sucker in front of his face and he couldn't help but reach out and grab it.

Ripping the plastic wrap off, he tasted it. "Yum. Cherry; my favorite. Thanks, Gila."

"Anytime, Hon." She patted his head like he was a small child and turned to walk away.

"Hey, Gila, has Sandi told you anything about her dates with Ryan?" He asked curiously around the lollipop.

"That was told to me in confidence. I swore the best girl friends oath not to repeat anything."

"Best girl friends oath?" He cocked his head at her, rolling the words around in his head. "You're making that up!"

"No, I'm not. Just ask Max. I've gotta go. Be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

She rolled her eyes at him and he shrugged his shoulders before they both turned around and headed in opposite directions. She disappeared into an exam room and Alec disappeared from Terminal City.

~~! Command Center !~~

"Hey, Mole! Have you seen Alec today?" Max called, stepping out of her office. She checked her watch for the tenth time in thirty minutes. Alec was supposed to meet her for lunch an hour ago.

"Do I look like his keeper?"

Max placed her hands on her hips and glared at the lizard-man.

Mole sighed, knowing that even he shouldn't mess with her when she did that. "Not since he picked up the blueprints for the museum early this morning. He said he was going to look over them at his place."

"Did he take a radio?" She knew that she shouldn't be worried. Alec was an adult and he could take care of himself. However, she had a horrible feeling that something was wrong, and she had learned to trust her instincts long ago.

"Yeah, Channel 4."

"Dix, see if you can contact him." She called to the transhuman who was sitting behind a computer on the raised platform.

"What's wrong, Max?" Mole walked over to her and asked.

"Nothing. Alec's late, that's all."

"He's always late. There's something else bothering you."

"I have this feeling that something's not right."

"With Alec?"

She nodded, tears stinging her eyes for a moment. This couldn't be happening. Alec was just in his apartment, taking a nap. He had forgotten about meeting her for lunch. Yes! That's what happened. Nothing to worry about.

"Max, he's not answering on the radio." Dix's voice broke into her thoughts.

"I'm going to go check his apartment. Mole, would you please check the Medical Center and see if Sandi has seen him? He said something about talking to her."

Mole's gruff statement died on his lips when he saw the anguish on her face. He merely nodded, grabbing a radio as he walked out the door.

Thirty minutes later, Max, Sandi, Mole, Gila, and Dix silently sat around the strategy table in the back of the command center. Their search had been fruitless as no sign of Alec had shown up. Gila had been the last person to speak with him and she hadn't even seen which way he'd gone after he left the Medical Center.

~~! Unknown Location !~~

Alec awoke with a pounding headache. He kept his eyes closed and tried to keep his breathing even. He didn't want his captors to know that he was conscious. He noted immediately that he was tied up. His hands were handcuffed together through the metal of the back support. His legs were each tied to a leg of the chair. He tested the strength of his bonds but they seemed surprisingly strong.

"There's no use in trying to pretend, 494." He knew that voice; White's voice. "I know that you're awake."

Alec cautiously opened his eyes to find that he was in a small, white room, only eight feet by eight feet. He was mildly surprised that he and White were the only two people there. He chose to remain silent as White paced the length of the room in front of him.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" White was trying to bait him and Alec knew it. He was determined not to give in.

"I have nothing to say to you." Alec finally said, his voice clear and strong.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, 494." White finally had the transgenic where he wanted him. It had taken forever, but he finally had 494 in his clutches and no one knew where he was. He had plenty of time to mess with the transgenic's head.

Alec remained silent, refusing to speak. If White kept talking then perhaps he would discover why he had to be tasered and kidnapped. Alec's eyes grew wide and his mind raced, ‘Max! She doesn't know where I am. She's got to be worried sick.'

"Tell me about the little set-up that you and the other filth have in Terminal City." One of the benefits of having 494 was that he could tell him about the ins and outs of Terminal City, after some coercion of course. 494's mind was strong and it would therefore take some time to get the information out of him.

Alec stared at the wall in front of him, keeping his mouth firmly shut.

"Who's in charge?" White tried a different question, hoping that he would hit one that would get the younger man to talk.

Alec continued to stare at the wall.

"How many are there?" White shouted, getting frustrated with Alec's lack of response. "Fine. If you won't speak, then I have ways of getting it out of you." White stared at 494 for a moment, expecting that his statement would get a reaction. He sighed as 494 just sat there. He was prepared for such a situation and while he felt like he had a lot of time, he needed to get information out of 494 soon.

Alec cringed, but tried his best not to show it as White left the room. The door closed with a whoosh of air and the loud click as the lock slid into place. White was connected to Manticore and Manticore had plenty of ways of making him talk. Alec shuddered, remembering his numerous trips to Psy-Ops.

White returned a few minutes later carrying what looked like an early-1990's virtual reality head-set. It covered the eyes and allowed a person to play virtual games such as basketball while they were wearing the head-set. Alec had only seen a picture of one in his history class at Manticore. He wondered what White was going to do with it.

"Let's see what a little trip down memory lane will do for you." White spoke as he placed the head-set on Alec's head, securing the straps and stepping away for the transgenic.

Visions upon visions began to take shape in front of Alec's eyes. Security camera footage in a stark contrast of black and white brought the many deaths by his hand back to haunt him.

~** Washington, DC - Senator Robert Smith's Office **~

Fifteen-year-old 494 entered the room through a secret door the left of the mahogany desk. An man in his mid-fifties sat behind the desk, sorting through a stack of papers. He turned at the slight creak of the door closing to find 494, who had just slipped away from the tour group he'd used to gain entry to the offices. 494 raised the pistol that he's swiped from a security guard and took aim at the center of Senator Smith's head. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet found it's mark perfectly. Dropping the gun from his gloved hand, 494 turned and left the room the same way that he had entered.

Alec remained silent as the images faded to black. He remembered that. It had been his first assassination and he had succeeded perfectly; getting in and out without raising suspicion. Smith had murdered his wife and mistress a year prior to his death, though no one but Manticore knew about it. His mistress had been one of the main scientists at the facility and her death had put the project way behind schedule. He had felt no remorse at the time, but now everything was different. He realized that it was murder that he had committed. Sure, he was a soldier following orders, but it was still murder and it made him feel nauseous.

~** Brazil - Amazon Rain Forest **~

Seventeen-year-old 494 crept through the underbrush silently, a slight movement of the plants marking his passage. The security camera zoomed in on him as he emerged beside the man standing guard outside of a large tent. A sharp twist of his hands and the man lay dead at his feet. 494 quickly and quietly deposited the body in the shadows and returned to the door of the tent. Moving inside, a different camera caught him and showed his quick elimination of the four men sleeping by the door. He moved to the last cot and found a woman in a deep slumber, her face illuminated by a small battery-operated light. She loosely clutched a small stack of papers against her chest. 494 warily glanced around the tent before looking back down at the beautiful woman before him. He reached out to grasp the papers, but she stirred and opened her eyes. Before she knew what was happening, he snapped her neck with one hand while stuffing the papers into the pocket of his black cargo pants. He had what he came for and no one had seen him. Mission completed successfully.

Alec stifled a whimper. She was the first woman that he had murdered. It shouldn't have mattered to him that she was a woman, but it did. He knew that he wouldn't have killed her if she hadn't woken. It didn't matter though. She was just another casualty to add to the growing list. Alec tried to close his eyes, but found that he couldn't. His subconscious was forcing him to watch.

~** William Sandeman's home - Gillette, Wyoming **~

494 had not gone far from the base to complete his next assignment. William Sandeman had started the Manticore Project, but had recently expressed his hatred for what was happening to the specimens. "They were created to be soldiers, but at what price," he had said to one of the directors a few days before. "Their childhood is not a childhood at all. Those children are being trained to kill right now." Now, his elimination had been ordered and 494 had drawn the assignment. Eighteen-year-old 494 entered the house through the back door and quickly made his way to the study where Sandeman spent most of his time. A brief exchange was made between them, but the camera recording the action didn't have audio capabilities. It ended with Sandeman raising his hands in acquiescence and 494 shooting him point blank in the head.

Alec sobbed as he recalled the conversation. Sandeman had known that they would be sending someone to kill him and he had not fought 494 when he had approached the old man. Sandeman had asked his designation and 494 had seen no harm in telling him. The man was as good as dead anyway. Sandeman had told him something then that hadn't meant as much as it did now. "The hunters will become the hunted and only one person can save you." 494 had tucked it away in the back of his mind, but to Alec it had meaning. The hunters had become the hunted; the transgenics were being killed by the ordinaries. And Max had been revealed to be the one to save everyone. He wracked his brain to think of what else Sandeman had said. However, a few seconds later his world dissolved away as the next images flashed before his eyes.

~** Berrisford Estate **~

The security camera swivelled around to reveal a twenty-year-old 494, dressed in a suit and wearing a pair of glasses. He pushed the buzzer and announced his name as Simon Lehane. The view switches as the camera inside the house takes over and 494 is let in through the front door by the maid. A teenage girl, Rachel Berrisford, bounces down the stairs, smiling as she sees Simon.

Alec slumped in the chair as the images became too much for his mind to handle. It was the first time that he had seen Rachel and he couldn't take it. He let the darkness take over as Rachel's smiling face faded away from him.

~~! Seven Hours Later - Terminal City Command Center !~~

"Sandi!" Ryan, a dark-haired transgenic in his mid-twenties, ran into the room searching for his girlfriend. His blue-green eyes scanned the crowd before settling on the medic, sitting at the back table. "Sandi!"

"Ryan?" She called back, standing as he approached the table. He gulped when he saw who was there. Max, Mole, and even his commander, Sean were there, crouched over steaming cups of coffee and staring at the maps laid out on the table.

"I need to talk to you right now."

"I'm kind of busy here. Something's happened."

"I know all about it. Alec's missing. There's no trace of him anywhere. Right?"

Max was up so fast that no one even saw her move until she shoved Ryan back against the wall. Her hand at his throat as he choked for breath. She stared at him angrily. "What have you done with him?" When he failed to answer she slammed his head against the wall and screamed, "What the fuck have you done to him?"

"Max!" Sandi pulled the younger transgenics hand away from Ryan. Max paced in front of them and Sandi turned back to her boyfriend. "What do you know, Ryan?"

"I know how he was taken for Terminal City and I know where he is now."

"How?" Mole asked around the cigar clenched between his teeth.

Ryan sighed, rubbing his throat from Max's attack. "I'm the one who got him out of TC."

Max lunged for him again, but Sean stepped in front of her and held her back. "Let me handle this." He whispered, nodding for Mole to take Max away. She shook her head as the transhuman approached her and took a seat close to where Ryan was standing. She wanted to be there to hear what he said. She needed to know what happened to Alec.

Sean walked up to Ryan and slammed his fist in the wall centimeters from Ryan's head. "How did you get him out of the city?"

Ryan stared at Sean's fist nervously. "I tasered him into unconsciousness. I had a van waiting at the entrance closest to the Medical Center. It was late in the evening and no one was around. I made sure that I was assigned to that post." Sean's eyes betrayed his fury over being deceived by one of his own men.

Sean pulled his fist back only to slam it in the wall again. "Who did you give him to?"

"Ames White. He pays me to get him up-to-date on what's going on here in TC."

"Traitor," Gila snarled from her seat on the far side of the table. She got up and stomped out the door, having decided that she'd heard enough. She needed to get the medpack ready for the retrieval operation anyway.

Ryan hung his head and took a sudden interest in examining his shoes. His head snapped up as Sean once more hit the wall.

"What is White doing to him?" The question made Max gasp and Sandi sit heavily in a nearby chair.

"I'm not sure. All White told me was that he needed a transgenic that would know how things worked around here."

"Where is he now?" Sandi asked, her voice shaking and barely audible.

"I delivered him to White's headquarters in Sector 9. I can show you where it is."

"I don't trust you." Max coldly stated, grabbing a map and thrusting it in his face. "Point it out. Now!"

Ryan took the map and smoothed it out over the table. He took a pen and circled a small square. "There's a warehouse right there. It looks abandoned, but it's not. They keep the vehicles inside so that it looks like no one's there. He's being held on the north side of the building."

Max nodded towards Sean and he slammed Ryan back against the wall, holding him there while Max issued orders. "Mole, get the communications equipment ready. Sean, Sandi, and I are going to get him. Sandi, go get the medpack together and grab an extra medic if you want. Sean, get that SOB out of my sight and report back here on the double."

Sandi walked slowly up to Ryan, slapping him with all her transgenic strength. "You Bastard. I never, ever want to see your face again." Tears streamed down her face as she turned and ran out of building.

~~! Five Hours Later - Alec's Apartment - Oak Street !~~

Getting Alec away from White had proven to be much simpler than any of them thought it would be. For holding a transgenic on the premises, there were fewer guards than they had anticipated. Max and Sean managed to subdue them while Sandi followed along, keeping an eye out for where Alec was being held and occasionally using her X5 skills although Max and Sean has specifically told her that she was only there as a medic. They had found him unconscious in a small room on the north side of the compound, like Ryan had said. Unfortunately, White also found them just as they freed Alec from his bonds. White battled with Max and Sean while Sandi attempted to drag Alec's six-foot, one-hundred-and-seventy-eight pound frame out the door. Using the handcuffs that they had removed from Alec, Max managed to handcuff White to the chair that happened to be bolted to the floor. Running out the door, they shot the electrical control box on the other side and helped Sandi carry Alec to safety.

Now, Max and Sandi sat on the floor beside Alec's bed and watched over him as he slept. He lay curled in the fetal position, clutching the blanket that covered him. He whimpered in his nightmare-filled slumber. He had not regained consciousness since they had found him, slumped over the chair in White's torture room. Max had removed the headset from him while Sandi checked his vital signs. She had peered into, needing to know what had caused Alec's current state of unconsciousness. What she saw horrified her and she couldn't imagine how Alec must feel.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Max asked into the silence.

"I think that he has plenty of people around him that love him and will help him if he lets them. He'll be okay eventually. It's just going to take some time."

Max nodded, letting this sink in. After another long stretch of silence, she asked the question that she had wanted to know the answer to for so long. "How many times was Alec sent to Psy-Ops?"

"Ummm," Sandi didn't really know what to say. She also didn't know the exact number. "At least three times. The first time was when your group escaped and then when his twin started killing and once when he failed a mission."

"Berrisford?"

"How did you know?"

"He told me about it. About her."

"He trusts you. I don't even know what happened on that mission. All I know is that 494 found love and it was ripped away from him."

"Love's not all it's cracked up to be most of the time." Max commented, looking at Sandi. The older woman's eyes were shiny with tears. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sandi took a deep breath and thought about it. Alec trusted Max immensely and the hardest thing in the world to do was gain Alec's trust. She needed to get it off her chest and Max was there, ready to listen. "I had only gone out with him for a few weeks. We had dinner at his place and mine and we even snuck into the city to go to a movie one night. I never knew love, Max, but he was this perfect guy who really liked me. I could imagine myself with him for a very long time. Hell, I could even imagine what our kids would look like. I think I was falling in love with him." She frowned, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I think I was already in love with him. He made me feel so alive and he was so much fun to hang out with. I never got tired of being with him."

Max reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled when Sandi looked up at her. "At least you figured it out. Look how long it took Alec and I to get together."

"It doesn't matter now. I don't want anything to do with him after what he did. I wish," she paused, not sure if she should voice her thoughts, "I wish he was dead."

"Don't say that." Max cautioned.

"Alec is so important to me, Max. He's probably my oldest friend. He could have died tonight all because of Ryan."

"He could die any night, Sandi. There are a lot of people who want Alec dead. Ryan and White just happened to be those people this time."

"It does change the fact that he's a traitor. He has to pay for what he did."

"He will." Max assured her, squeezing her hand one more time before letting the subject drop. Sandi wasn't being rational about the situation, not that Max could blame her. She had wanted to be the one to kill Ryan when she had seen Alec, but her anger had died away as she focused on making her boyfriend well. The only thing that mattered to her now was Alec. He was back and she was determined to help him in whatever may come next.

Alec finally awoke two hours later to find Max and Sandi still sitting beside his bed. Max was by his side as soon as his hazel eyes cracked open. She reached out and touched his forehead, trying to brush his hair away from his eyes, but he had flinched away from her, whimpering.

"Alec? It's me, Max. You're okay. You're safe here." She tried to soothe him with her words.

"Max?" He croaked. His throat was dry and his vision was blurry. He blinked several times until Max came into focus.

"Yeah, it's me. Everything's okay." She touched his hand and he flinched again, sitting up quickly and moving back against the headboard of the bed. She frowned at his actions, but reminded herself that he had been through a lot in the past few hours. It was understandable that he would be upset and jumpy.

"Don't touch me. Please don't touch me." He whispered, drawing his knees up to his bare chest. They had changed him into a pair of pajama pants when they had got him back to his apartment, hoping that he would feel better in something more comfortable. Tears filled his eyes as Sandi moved to sit on the bed as well.

She had stood back to watch his reaction to Max, but now she thought it was time to step in. "Alec? Hey," She smiled when he looked at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Sandi?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Are you real?" His voice shook as he asked the simple question.

"Yes." She replied simply, hoping that he would make the connection himself that he was in reality and not stuck in some dreamworld.

He breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. "Where am I?"

"This is your apartment. Do you recognize it?"

He looked around quickly, making sure that he kept his eye on both Max and Sandi. They both sat still and silent waiting for him to speak. "Yes. It's weird though. I thought I'd be in the Med. Center. Room 494." He attempted to grin but could only force a half-smile.

"There's nothing physically wrong with you. I thought it would be better if you woke up somewhere familiar."

Max snorted, "Like room 494 isn't familiar enough."

Alec's head swivelled to look at her and she could have sworn she saw fear in his eyes. He stared at her as if trying to figure out if she was really sitting there or not.

Sandi brought his attention back to her by asking, "How do you feel, Alec?"

"Tired," he replied, biting his lower lip. "My head hurts."

"Would you like something for it?"

"No." He shook his head vehemently. "I don't want to go back to sleep."

"Why?" Sandi was going into shrink-mode. Max would have laughed if the situation wasn't so grim.

"Nightmares," Alec whispered.

"Do you want to tell me about them?"

Alec eyes moved to rest on Max. He shook his head in answer to Sandi's question, hoping to convey that he didn't want Max around to hear them.

"Max," Sandi caught his hint and turned to Max. "Would you leave us alone for a little while?"

"No."

Sandi sighed. "Max ..."

"No, I want to be here. I want to know what happened. I have a right to know, don't I?" She truly believed every word she said. She was Alec's girlfriend, his lover, and she should be around to hear what happened to him. How was she going to help him if she didn't know what went on at White's warehouse.

"Leave." The tone of Alec's voice caught both their attention. It was cold and unfeeling, like he had shut off all of his emotions.

"Alec, I want to be here."

"Leave."

"Please let me help you." Tears threatened to overflow as the realization of what he was saying smacked her in the face. He didn't want her there. He didn't feel safe with her anymore.

"Leave!" Alec shouted at her.

"No!" She refused to let him push her away.

"Damn it, Max! Get the hell out!"

"No!" She shouted back at him, taking him by the arms and giving him a slight shake. "I love you! Don't shut me out!"

"Leave!"

"No!"

Alec suddenly broke down into sobs. He covered his face with his hands, but it was obvious that he was crying.

"I can't tell you." He said as he cried. "You'll hate me. You won't love me anymore."

"That's not possible." Max spoke gently, taking him in her arms.

"No, it's true. You'll hate me." He looked up at her, tears still streaming down his face. "I'm a murderer Max. I've killed so many people. Women, men. It didn't matter to me. I killed them all. I even killed Rachel. I'm poison. Don't touch me. I don't want to kill you too." He suddenly jumped off the bed, backing into the corner of the room.

"You can't hurt me. You won't hurt me." She spoke slowly and her tone was gentle. He had at least told her his problem. Now she had to make sure he didn't shut her away while she tried to help.

"That's what Rachel thought to and she died. I kill everything." He slid down the wall to sit on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest. "I kill everything I touch."

Max slowly moved off of the bed to the floor where she moved toward him cautiously. Sandi watched, knowing that she couldn't get between them now. This was Alec's biggest fear and Max was about to help him overcome it, if he would let her.

"Don't come near me! I don't want to hurt you."

"Alec?" Max reached out and took hold of his hands. "Look at me."

He raised his head slowly, sniffing and gasping lightly for air.

"I'm fine. I'll always be fine. You can't hurt me. You won't hurt me." She hoped that her words were getting through to him.

"You don't know that." He whispered, his resolve faltering.

"Yes, I do. Do you know how I know?" He shook his head, but didn't push her away when she moved even closer to him.

"Because you never have. You'd die to save my life. That's one of the many reasons that I love you. You can't hurt me. I'll always be here." She slowly wrapped her arms around him and he sobbed into her chest.

"You'll always be here?" His quivering voice was muffled, but it broke Max's heart nonetheless. There was so much emotion in those four little words.

"I'll always be here with you Alec. I promise." She meant every bit of the words that she spoke. She intended to be with him, through thick and thin, every day for the rest of their lives.

He raised his head, looking deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Max."

"I love you too Alec. Always and forever." She meet his gave without hesitating, happy that they had gotten their true feelings out into the open.

"Always and forever," he echoed as she lowered her lips to his. He didn't flinch away from her and they all took that as a good sign. It was the first step in making Alec realize that while he had indeed killed those people, he was a much better person now. He would be haunted by those people for a long time, but he had friends that would help him through it. And he had Max to love him and hold him when the nightmares came. Sandi sighed and hoped that she'd have someone like that someday.

~~! Oak Street - Apartment 4C !~~

Ryan was standing by the bed, folding a blue t-shirt, when Sandi entered his room. He looked up, surprised to see her there, but he made no move towards her.

"How did you get in?" He asked, placing the shirt in the duffle bag that was sitting on his bed.

"I picked the lock." She replied, leaning against the door jamb.

"Are you here to beat me up?" He asked, turning to face her so that she could see that his left eye was swollen shut and his face was bruised. "‘Cause Mole and Sean already took care of that."

"Serves you right." Her voice was cold, but she was fighting her instincts to go to him and make sure that he was okay. Damn her lovey-dovey feelings.

"Look, I know that what I did was completely wrong. I knew that when I did it."

"Then why?" She interrupted, barely keeping her anger in check.

"I didn't want to live the rest of my life here in Terminal City with no freedom and no life."

"We're free." She protested.

"No, we're not. We'll never be free if we stay here."

"That's not true."

"Sandi, the government has us surrounded. The only thing stopping them from blowing us sky-high is that we're in the middle of Seattle with hundreds of normal US citizens."

She shook her head, refusing to let his words sink in and become reality. "Well, you're getting your wish. You're getting kicked out of Terminal City."

Ryan sighed, wringing his hands together. He took a step toward Sandi but she backed a step away. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"You should have thought of that before you betrayed my best friend, betrayed me!"

He nodded at her words, "Yeah, I should have. You should know that I don't regret our time together. We were great."

"Don't. I don't want to hear it." Sandi sniffed, refusing to shed tears over him, but her eyes didn't seem to be getting the message.

He nodded, reaching back to grab the handles of his duffle bag before walking towards her. She stepped back as he exited the room and followed him to the door of his apartment. He turned back to look at her when she cleared her throat.

"I just have one question." She spoke softly. "Why did you tell us where Alec was?"

He scratched his head. "I guess I realized what I was throwing away by handing him over to White. I knew deep down that we wouldn't be able to be together, but I had to take a chance on it."

That was not the answer she was expecting. "Get out you bastard." She nearly shouted, needing to be away from him that instant. He sighed and left the apartment and her behind. She collapsed to the floor, sobs wracking her body. She hated him for betraying Alec to White and putting everyone in danger. However, she still remembered what it felt like to have someone to love in her life and she missed it already. Love was going to haunt her and there was nothing that she could do to prevent it. She shouldn't have fallen for him, but she didn't have a choice in her feelings. She was just going to have to pick up the pieces and move on with her life. But right now, she was going to sit here and cry and worry about everything else tomorrow.

~The End


End file.
